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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · race · plane · spell · temple · hand · arm · net

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. net — after costs
  7. spell — a short time
  8. race — the arms race
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. race — a contest
  14. root — of a word
  15. spell — magic
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. race — humankind
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. net — for catching
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com